May 13th 2024.
On Monday, the 29th of April, people in the state of Odisha woke up to a busy day as polling began for four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly seats. The officials ensured that strict security measures were in place to ensure a smooth and peaceful process. The voting started at 7am in Berhampur, Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Kalahandi parliamentary constituencies, along with 28 Assembly segments within their jurisdiction.
The polling continued until 6pm, with some adjustments made in remote and Maoist-affected areas, where voting concluded earlier. The Chief Electoral Officer, NB Dhal, gave his assurance that adequate arrangements were made for the convenience of voters. However, amidst the preparations, the Election Commission suspended two polling officials for dereliction of duty. This action was taken by CEO Nikunja Bihari Dhal himself, who stated that one official from Narla Assembly constituency in Kalahandi district and another from Ganjam district were suspended.
In addition, a minor clash-like incident was reported from the Chikiti area in Ganjam district. CEO Nikunja Bihari Dhal spoke to the media and assured that he had personally spoken to the SP of Berhampur and the Ganjam Collector to ensure smooth polling in the Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency, especially in the Chikiti area. He also appealed to the voters to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise, as the voter turnout was low in the Berhampur constituency.
Despite these incidents, the polling in Odisha was reported to be peaceful, with a voter turnout of 23.28% till 11am. This amounted to 23.28% of the 62.87 lakh eligible voters in the state. The highest turnout was recorded in the tribal-dominated Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat at 25.38%, followed by Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Berhampur. The police reported that there were no untoward incidents in any of the polling booths.
However, the officials did face some challenges, as there were reports of EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) malfunctioning during the first two hours of polling. The Chief Electoral Officer, NB Dhal, stated that the voting was underway in all 7,303 polling stations across the four Parliamentary Constituencies and 28 Assembly segments peacefully, with some reports of EVM glitches. The highest number of EVM glitches were reported in the Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat, but they were promptly addressed.
Dhal also mentioned that these defects were identified during the mock poll before the actual voting began, and the faulty EVMs were replaced within 30 minutes. By 9am, the voter turnout had reached 9.23%, with over 62.87 lakh eligible voters exercising their franchise. It was a challenging task for the officials, as they had to ensure that all 7,303 polling booths were accessible to the voters. This involved unique measures such as airdropping polling officials for six booths in the remote Nuapada district and using boats in other areas.
In order to address any potential threats, the police had deployed 17,000 personnel, with a special focus on areas that were vulnerable to Maoist activities. DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi emphasized on maintaining a peaceful environment during the voting process. With 37 candidates vying for the four Lok Sabha seats and 243 contestants for the 28 assembly segments, over 62.87 lakh eligible voters had the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. It was a crucial day for the state of Odisha, and the officials were determined to ensure a fair and smooth polling process.
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